Ethiopian man gets five years in jail for plotting to kill business partner, could be deported

Amare Gebru of Winnipeg, Canada tried to convince a regular customer to kill the woman, but this customer told her of the plan, leading to Amare’s arrest.

By Christian Aumell (Globalnews.ca) |

WINNIPEG, MB―A Winnipeg man could be sent back to his native Ethiopia after he received a five-year sentence for plotting to kill his business partner.

During the trial of Amare Gebru, court heard that he bought a convenience store with a woman in 2011, but their relationship soured in a hurry.

Amare Gebru tried to convince a regular customer to kill the woman, but this customer told her of the plan, leading to Amare’s arrest.

Amare’s lawyer Mike Cook had argued for a sentence of five months and 29 days because any longer sentence would trigger deportation proceedings. In making this argument, Cook said Gebru is “a good man who did a bad thing.”

But in making his decision, Justice Vic Toews said there needed to be a much harsher punishment.

“Nothing I have heard supports a custodial sentence of less than six months. It would simply be an attempt to circumvent immigration rules,” Toews read. “Cases of this nature usually warrant a sentence of five or six years, and I see no need to deviate, even if it triggers collateral consequences like deportation.”

According to Cook, Amare Gebru has been a beloved member of the Ethiopian community in Winnipeg since arriving in Canada over a decade ago.